L'amour trouvé
by Sazzita
Summary: Written for Nfa's Sesa 2014 My take on the end of season 5 After her liaison position is terminated and rather go back to Israel, Ziva goes off the grid leaving the one man that loves her.(McGiva)


_** I do not own, nor am I in anyway associated with CBS, NCIS, The 1951 movie "An American in Paris." Nor do I speak French.**_

_**Thank you to my Beta sondheimmcgeek Also thank you to Rose de Sharon and Menea111 for their help with the French**_

Ashley, the attractive young, blonde, Cyber Crimes Agent, fixed her hair and checked her make-up, before going over to her co-worker's desk. She had been trying to get his attention ever since he had been transferred down here a few months before...

"Hey, Tim, want to join us for drinks?"

Timothy McGee looked up from his computer, so engrossed in what he was doing that he only just noticed most people were finishing up for the day.

"No thanks, Ashley," said Tim.

"Christmas is only a few days away. It would be a great chance for us to get to know you."

"Hmm, maybe next time," was Tim's response.

"That's what you said the last few times! How about we ditch the others and go for a coffee at my place? I made a batch of cookies this morning."

"Thank you, Ashley, you are a..." Tim started to say before she interrupted him .

"I know, I am a nice girl, but you're not interested. However, I will say this in case you change your mind. You are a part of Cyber Crimes now. We don't have a rule 12 here!" With that, Ashley walked out of the office with a little sass in her step, a last attempt to get his attention. But Tim's mind was already starting to wander elsewhere...

**flashback Cela fait presque un an (flashback almost year ago)**

Tim McGee pressed the buzzer to Tony's apartment, half resting the box he had in his arms against the wall.

"McGoo, that you?" Tony's voice said, coming through the speaker system.

"Yes, it's me."

"Did you …."

"Yes, Tony, I bought the beer."

The only sound he heard was the buzz of the front door being unlocked. Tim went to open the door, but before he could, a voice came from behind him...

"Here, McGee, let me get that for you!"

"Oh, hey, Ziva"

They walked up the stairs to Tony's apartment and stop at his door.

"So, Tim, are you and Sarah going to be spending Christmas together?" Ziva asked, referring to the holiday that was just a week away. "

"Sarah is going skiing with some friends from college...Wait! What did you call me?"

"Tim. That is your name, is it not?"

"Yes, but you never call me that!"

"Do you not like it, or is it you do not like me?"

"I like it, Ziva."

"Good, and if you play your tickets right, I might even scream it later," Ziva said before knocking on Tony's door.

"It's cards, Ziva... wait, what did you say?" a stunned McGee remarked after Ziva's words finally registered.

Ziva shot him a seductive look and leaned into him, but pulled away when she heard the door open.

"What took you so long, McBrewskie? I see you brought Ziva. Is there something that you need to tell me? Like perhaps the breaking of a certain rule number twelve?"

"It is none of your birds wax, Tony."

"Beeswax. It is none of my beeswax, Ziva"

"That as well!" she added.

"Is Abby here yet?"

"I'm in here, McGee," said Abby's voice, coming from Tony's kitchen. "Just making a batch of my great Aunt Betty's Christmas brownies."

"What movie should we start with?"

"Good question, McMovies."

After some discussion they decided to start with the classic "An American in Paris."

"Anyone up for another beer?" On their agreement, Tony went to the kitchen.

"Hey, Tony, don't forget the popcorn!" Abby said following him.

"Alone at last!" Ziva said, moving even closer to Tim.

"Ziva …." The rest of what he was about to say went out the window as their lips meet in a passionate kiss, only for it to be cut short when a voice drifted in from the kitchen...

"You take the beers, Abby. I will finish the popcorn."

"Ok," Abby agreed as she went to leave the kitchen. Tim and Ziva jumped apart

"Later," she whispered.

"So um...what do you think of the movie?"

"Don't you just love Paris? I've always wanted to go there," Abby piped in, having just come back into the lounge room.

"Oh, it is a lovely city. I have been there a few times in the summer but I have never been there at this time of year. I have heard it is a very beautiful..."

**Fin du Flashback (end of Flashback)**

"Could that be it?" McGee said out loud in the now empty Cyber Crimes office! "Maybe she is in Paris?"...

He started to work on his computer, running every scan, hacking all French databases he could think of like a mad man, until finally, in the early hours of the morning, McGee's computer let out a loud beep and he looked at the results...

"Paris here I come!" He proceeded to look at flights.

**à Paris**

Ziva made her way through the busy market and crowded French streets, wondering why she was still feeling so lonely despite the crowds and all the Christmas Eve festivities. Making her way back to the small top floor apartment that she had been renting for the past few months, she was about to go up the stairs when the door to the ground floor apartment opened and the lonely old widow who owned the building stepped out...

"Bonjour, Mademoiselle Dumoulin. "

"Bonjour, Madame Dupré," Ziva, or rather Isabelle Dumoulin, as she was now known by, replied. "Comment va Dusty aujourd'hui?" Ziva (Isabelle) said, asking the lady about her beloved cat Dusty

""Il va bien, merci " replied Madame Dupré, happy that someone asked her about her fur baby.

After a few more minutes of polite chatter, Ziva said goodbye and finally set foot in her apartment. Sitting down at the table to prepare a croissant of fresh meat and cheese she had just bought, her mind started to wander back to the last time that she saw Tim...

**Flashback**

"Officer David, the liaison position with NCIS is being terminated. You are going home!"

The newly-appointed director Vance's words still echoed inside her head, as Ziva, no longer interested in food, moved from the table and curled up on the lounge.

The one word that really stuck in her mind was "Home"... It left her asking herself a big question... Is Israel still home? Sure, she had some good times there in D.C, made some good friends and  
>even started to feel that with Abby and Tony she had an extra brother and sister, a grandfather in Ducky, and a father in Gibbs. That just left Tim... a loud knock coming from her front door<br>brought her out of her thoughts...

"Ziva I know you are there!" Tim said. Ziva just sat on the couch in disbelief.

"Look, Zee, we can talk about this. There must be something we can do. These last eight months since that movie night have been great."

Ziva still sat in silence on the sofa just listening to Tim as he talked.

"Look, Zee, I know we talked about not putting a label on ourselves but I...I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you!" He looked around to see some of Ziva's neighbors peering out from behind their doors. "I know you need some time to think about what I said, so I will be back tomorrow evening and we can talk then." With that Tim left, not wanting to, but respecting that she needed space.

Ziva sat there on the sofa stunned. "I do not even know who I am anymore... How could he love me? He was raised a gentleman, while I killer." Now what was you love something set it free?" Yes, that is what she must do!

**Fin du Flashback (end of flashback)**

So that was how Ziva found herself there in Paris, a beautiful city at a wonderful time of year, with spectacular sites such as the Champs Elysée so brightly illuminated, the ice skating rinks, the Christmas musicals, the most amazing shop window displays, and many other festivities. It iwas a lovely place to spend the holidays season, but her heart wasn't there, it was back in D.C with... A knock at her door came interrupting her thoughts...

"Ziva, I know you're in there! I think we are long overdue for that talk"

Ziva's heart jumped. TIM... no surely it could not be. Ziva looked through the peephole... It WAS him, but he did not look very happy.

"Let me in, Ziva!' Tim said once again, knocking heavily on her door.

Ziva let out a sigh and unlocked the door. She stood back, letting him enter. He just looked at her and uttered one word...

"Why?" he asked

Ziva let the out the breath that she did not realise she had been holding. "Come, let us have a seat," she said, motioning to the sofa.

"I am waiting" McGee said, his arms crossed.

"I was raised to follow orders, to do what needed to be done, to kill whoever they decided to, never to show any emotion, but you changed that Tim. Those eight months were some of the best in my life... I…I found myself falling in love with you."

"What did you say?"

"I love you Tim and I hope you feel the same way too."

Tim knew in his heart that now was the right moment. "Ziva, you ran away before I could ask you a very important question," he said. With that he produced a ring box from his pocket and put it on her coffee table. "I want to do this right, so darling get dressed while I make some reservations for a very romantic evening.

"Then I must go get ready" Ziva said as she gave Tim a quick cuddle and a kiss before disappearing.

Shortly after, he heard her voice echoing from the bedroom..."Tim, I am ready," she said and proceeded towards him, wearing a most stunning floor length blue dress with a plunging neckline. Wouldn't Tony be proud of the response he gave her."That is quite a dress you almost have on!" quoting a line from the movie "An American In Paris"

"Thank you," Ziva replied giving him a seductive look. Unlike the movie, Ziva flicked the straps holding the dress up, the skirt of which slidinto a pool at the feet of her near naked body. All plans of dinner were now forgotten as Ziva led Tim into her bedroom for a Christmas Eve neither would ever forget!

**Un an plus tard (a year later)**

It was late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Jethro the dog was lying down having a nap on the sofa while his humans were having a rest in their room. "Oh how complicated their lives have been lately, but finally they have got their relationship together and got married. A few weeks ago we moved into our new home and then celebrated Hanukkah. A dog's life is a much more simpler one. My humans met each other and just when things seem to be working out, what happens! Ziva disappears and and it took Tim a while to track her down, and then he chases after her and comes back engaged. Then they get married and Ziva becomes a US citizen and a NCIS Agent."

Jethro continued to dream and nap until a loud scream, coming from their bedroom startled him.

"Hospital, now," he heared Tim say.

"Tim, your keys," Ziva panted between pains.

"Right, keys," he said, retrieving them from the coffee table.

"Now my bag," she said with increasing pants.

Grabbing the necessities they rushed out the door leaving Jethro behind to dream about the human pup they would soon be bringing home...

Just goes to show if you love someone set them free...if they come back to you it was meant to be!

**Fin**


End file.
